Huskies take aim at first state title
The Chino Hills girls volleyball team had its share of ups and downs during the regular season, but the Huskies have been riding high in the postseason and look to cap a historic season with a CIF State title.
Chino Hills takes on Carondelet of Concord for the Division III state championship today at 1:30 p.m. at Santiago Canyon College in Orange.
This will be the first state final appearance for both programs. Chino Hills will look to join Rim of the World (1981, 1982, 1983, 2014), Ontario Christian (2018, 2019), Temecula Valley (2018) and Vista Murrieta (2019) as Inland teams to win a state girls volleyball championship.
Chino Hills went 14-13 in the regular season and finished in a tie for fourth in the Baseline League. However, the Huskies have put together their best stretch of the season during the past month, winning 7 of 8 matches in the CIF Southern Section and CIF State playoffs. Chino Hills reached the Southern Section’s Division 5 championship match and also claimed the CIF State Division III regional championship earlier this week.
“For a team to win like this, every player has to really want it,” senior outside hitter Tehya Chadwick said. “No matter what happened earlier in the year, we have just come together as a team and tried to do something special.”
Chino Hills coach Joe Schnake said the road to this state championship has not been easy. The Huskies had to avenge their loss in the section finals against Torrance, had to rally from two sets down to defeat topseeded Otay Ranch and also beat a tough squad from Mayfield for a second time in three weeks.
“I think every playoff match has helped get us prepared for the next one we have played,” Schanke said.
Two years ago, Chino Hills went 0-10 in the Baseline League and failed to qualify for the postseason.
“That season and having last season taken away because of COVID has really motivated this team,” said senior libero Paige Gutowksi. “We wanted to make this one count. We still have one more left to win.”